written

American  

[rit-n] / ˈrɪt n /

verb

1. a past participle of write.

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adjective

1. expressed in writing (spoken ).

written British  

/ ˈrɪtən /

verb

1. the past participle of write

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adjective

1. taken down in writing; transcribed Compare spoken

   written evidence

   the written word

Other Word Forms

• half-written adjective
• prewritten adjective
• self-written adjective
• well-written adjective

Etymology

Origin of written

First recorded before 1000, for the adjective

Compare meaning

How does written compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• written vs. wrote

Example Sentences

The book breaks no new ground and liberally borrows from studies written by others.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The prompt was partly a joke, written by a friend because I couldn’t figure out what to write.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

But even if the opinion is written in the clipped vocabulary of habeas review, the stakes are larger than that language suggests.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

The script was written by Aoibh's husband, Cahal Clarke.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

I could just pretend that I’d never seen my name written on a Cocoon, and I could stay on track to become the best Glitcher the Academy had ever seen.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• drafted
• penned
• recorded
• reported